RIP Michael Jackson

[Squawk]

For those who are interested, Rage will screen a special tribute on ABC at 12.25am tomorrow morning (ie tonight!).

[Columbo]

Think this will go down as one of those days that millions of people will always remember where they were when they heard the news. Think for anyone ages between about 20 and 50 the feeling would be the equivalent of what the same age group would have felt when Elvis or John Lennon passed on.
Looking solely at his carrer as an entertainer, like him or not it will probably be a generation before there is anyone like him again.
At present on Foxtel, MTV, VH1 and Music Max all have tribute countdowns running, no doubt there will be plenty more of this over the weekend on Pay and Free to air Tv.

[Blue Boy]

RIP MJ

Will remeber him for his music !!!

[Punk Rooster]

The effects of this will rival the scale of Princess Diana's death

i doubt it.

[mick]

The effects of this will rival the scale of Princess Diana's death

i doubt it.

What a shame there isn't the same out pouring of grief when useful people who are not celebrities die.

[zipzap]

The effects of this will rival the scale of Princess Diana's death

i doubt it.

What a shame there isn't the same out pouring of grief when useful people who are not celebrities die.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLVsIpejFgM

[mick]

The effects of this will rival the scale of Princess Diana's death

i doubt it.

What a shame there isn't the same out pouring of grief when useful people who are not celebrities die.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLVsIpejFgM

Hilarious, I'd forgotten about that, unfortunately all too true

[therisingblues]

I'll like to remember him more from his glory days in the 80s and early 90s, instead of the the last 10 years or so of his life. I felt sorry for him towards the end because he seemed to me to have deep seated, long term psychological issues. I could barely stand to look at the strange new face compared to the good looking young guy from 25 years ago.

I felt like I grew up with Michael Jackson's music. Beat It / Thriller / Billie Jean must be one of the most successful 1-2-3 singles off one album ever. We all had a copy of Thriller. In his prime he was a brilliant and gifted performing artist. Some of his hits are timeless.

So I'm sad today. It feels like the end of an era. RIP Michael.

Almost word for word my thoughts also.
RIP Jacko.

[whufc]

So now he found a cure for aids?
...and like 99% of all celebrities, only did anything charitable when the cameras were on him.
Just another shallow phony.

and I forgot about him paying hush money to the family of the kid he molested...

Whether he did it just when the cameras were on him or just for the good publiscity anytime someone donates millions to charity it has to be a good thing doesn't it

[Punk Rooster]

Forget his personal issues, he was probably the most influentiual musician/performer the world has ever seen and ever likely to be seen.....many memories growing up listening to his music.....a truely sad day

People are comparing this to Elvis, IMO there is no comparison....

It's sad the guy is dead but let's be serious.

you know, seeing his filmclips, his strength was his dance routines, moreso than his singing.
I believe his voice was acceptable, he had a decent team of song/musicwriters, but his dancing was the icing on the Wacko Jacko cake- a male Britney Spears if you will...

[rod_rooster]

Forget his personal issues, he was probably the most influentiual musician/performer the world has ever seen and ever likely to be seen.....many memories growing up listening to his music.....a truely sad day

People are comparing this to Elvis, IMO there is no comparison....

It's sad the guy is dead but let's be serious.

you know, seeing his filmclips, his strength was his dance routines, moreso than his singing.
I believe his voice was acceptable, he had a decent team of song/musicwriters, but his dancing was the icing on the Wacko Jacko cake- a male Britney Spears if you will...

To even mention Britney Spears in the same sentence as Michael Jackson is ridiculous. Jackson, like him or not, was one of the most influential stars of all time and will only become bigger in death. Whatever he did wrong in his private life is not something i or many people know for fact but what we all know is he was an entertainer the likes of which we are unlikely to see again.

[therisingblues]

1: So now he found a cure for aids?
2:...and like 99% of all celebrities, only did anything charitable when the cameras were on him.
3:Just another shallow phony.

4:and I forgot about him paying hush money to the family of the kid he molested...

1: No one said that.
2: And how do you know what he didn't do when the cameras weren't on him? From many accounts he was a man with a good heart so perhaps his charitable work was just an expression of basic good, While the cameras were rolling or not.
3: And you don't like him. Noted.
4: I think there was a queue of parents who wanted hush money. The term "soft target" springs to mind.

[Punk Rooster]

Forget his personal issues, he was probably the most influentiual musician/performer the world has ever seen and ever likely to be seen.....many memories growing up listening to his music.....a truely sad day

People are comparing this to Elvis, IMO there is no comparison....

It's sad the guy is dead but let's be serious.

you know, seeing his filmclips, his strength was his dance routines, moreso than his singing.
I believe his voice was acceptable, he had a decent team of song/musicwriters, but his dancing was the icing on the Wacko Jacko cake- a male Britney Spears if you will...

To even mention Britney Spears in the same sentence as Michael Jackson is ridiculous. Jackson, like him or not, was one of the most influential stars of all time and will only become bigger in death. Whatever he did wrong in his private life is not something i or many people know for fact but what we all know is he was an entertainer the likes of which we are unlikely to see again.

Rod, you enhanced my point- he was an entertainer, not a singer.
Also, given Britney's behaviour, the comparison is not ridiculous...

[mick]

Good balanced article by Christopher Hart in the Sunday Mail, says in dance probably as great or greater than Fred Astaire and performed a number of good catchy "pop" songs. The genius comparison with Motzart or Bethhoven can't be serious. I agree with Punk's analogy with Britney Spears.

[Hondo]

you know, seeing his filmclips, his strength was his dance routines, moreso than his singing.
I believe his voice was acceptable, he had a decent team of song/musicwriters, but his dancing was the icing on the Wacko Jacko cake- a male Britney Spears if you will...

I think he had a great singing for voice to match his music. He may not have been able to do Phantom of the Opera but his vocal work at his peak had great rhythm and energy that made up for it.

Lets be honest, most pop singers only have "acceptable" voices. Have you ever heard Britney live? Not great .....

I agree his gift was in his dancing and overall ability to perform, rather than straight singing. Justin Timberlake is a modern day equivalent in terms of dancing/performing v straight singing skill.

I think we agree mostly but I rate his singing higher than you do.

[JAS]

Watching the news today it looks like the fight over the kids is starting between their grandmother and the mother of the eldest two and apparently other 'interested' parties...hope some judge can intervene or something before it gets nasty and do what is right for the kids not the adults.

Regards
JAS

[zipzap]

I agree his gift was in his dancing and overall ability to perform, rather than straight singing. Justin Timberlake is a modern day equivalent in terms of dancing/performing v straight singing skill.

I think we agree mostly but I rate his singing higher than you do.

It's telling that this thread is in Entertainment rather than Music

[A Mum]

Watching the news today it looks like the fight over the kids is starting between their grandmother and the mother of the eldest two and apparently other 'interested' parties...hope some judge can intervene or something before it gets nasty and do what is right for the kids not the adults.

Regards
JAS

Also heard in the news that one of the 'staffers' were asked by Michael's mother if there was any 'hidden money' in the house anywhere.
Unbelievable.

[A Mum]

I'll like to remember him more from his glory days in the 80s and early 90s, instead of the the last 10 years or so of his life. I felt sorry for him towards the end because he seemed to me to have deep seated, long term psychological issues. I could barely stand to look at the strange new face compared to the good looking young guy from 25 years ago.

I felt like I grew up with Michael Jackson's music. Beat It / Thriller / Billie Jean must be one of the most successful 1-2-3 singles off one album ever. We all had a copy of Thriller. In his prime he was a brilliant and gifted performing artist. Some of his hits are timeless.

So I'm sad today. It feels like the end of an era. RIP Michael.

Almost word for word my thoughts also.
RIP Jacko.

Mine too.
Well written Hondo.

[A Mum]

How long til a movie comes out?

I vaguely remember seeing a movie years and years ago based on the whole Jackson 5 I reckon it was, and not just Michael.
Anyone else? Someone know what it is called?
But yes, I'm sure there will be a movie from the start of his life, till the end.